Burn
by OccasionallyIWriteStuff
Summary: Salem is the only being alive who can make Cinder bow. One-shot based around the Ozpin vs. Cinder fight. One of the conversations with Salem beforehand, the fight itself, and a conversation afterwards are the main scenes of the fic.
_A/N: Cinder's always been such an interesting character. Not well used in the show, but you know. Figured I would try my hand at writing her. Big headcannon is that Ozpin is Father Time and Salem is Mother Nature. Just so you are aware. Enjoy._

* * *

Cinder could feel the harsh pressure of Salem's hand a fraction of an inch above her shoulder. The pure dark that rolled off Salem pushed against Cinder's aura, the threat of that darkness simply breaking the barrier and consuming her a whisper in the back of her mind.

Cinder felt a shiver run down her spine and she shifted her weight on her knees ever so slightly, the angry jab of pain shooting up them in protest as gravel bit into her. Pain that Cinder ignored as she kept her breathing steady and eyes shut. Salem wasn't a being that took kindly to disrespect or weakness.

It had happened before, once, when Cinder was younger. Before she had been anything more than a murderer. Cinder had risen to her feet in protest of Salem's ideas and plans in their first meeting together. She had clawed her way out of hell to meet with Salem and had been treated like dirt. Why would Cinder learn under someone who wouldn't give her the respect she deserved? Who did this person think they were, telling Cinder what to do and how to act? What right did they have to think that Cinder would take a single step on their behalf without any sort of promise of the future or assurance of her eventual payment?

Three months passed before Cinder woke up from her coma and another nine after that before her muscles began functioning at all. In total, Cinder spent two years recovering from how thoroughly Salem had informed her of what power she had over Cinder.

The ghost of the memory shot through her mind and Cinder suppressed another shudder as she felt the pressure of Salem's hand move from her shoulder, up her neck, and stop at the top of her head. The darkness pushed at her mind and ate at the emptiness in her chest from where she lacked the full power of the Maiden. The tattoos on her back, hands, and hips began to throb in resonance with her heartbeat and Salem's energy. Cinder felt her breathing shallow and mouth go dry as the feelings synched with each other. A hum of approval cut through the air.

"When my children overrun Vale, you must not let the Father transfer Fall's power." Cinder's entire body vibrated with the words and the power of their speaker. In the distance, Cinder could hear the angry eruption of lava from the ground before the _pitter patter_ of it landing.

A pause, as if Salem expected a response, but Cinder said nothing, letting Salem continue, "Once you defeat Ozpin, destroy the CCT as well. Humans hate being alone. Their anguish will feed my children."

A shadow of doubt passed through Cinder's mind. Even after she had claimed Fall's full power, would she be strong enough to kill the Father? There wasn't a question in her mind about whether anyone else would fall beneath her, but Ozpin was supposedly Salem's equal in terms of strength and there was little doubt to whether Salem could kill Cinder or not.

"Fall is the most powerful of the seasons for its ability to drag the flourish of Summer to the death of Winter." Salem continued, reading Cinder's thoughts. "And Ozpin is arrogant. He has forgotten his power and will not expect yours." A moment passed and Cinder felt a wave of Salem's satisfaction roll over her. "Ozpin won't use his full powers for fear of the wyvern. Without his full strength, even he would struggle to slay my child."

Cinder nodded but the small silver of doubt clutched at the back of her mind like a leech.

"Ozpin's time among the humans has made him weak." Salem's voice sounded harsher than usual. Bitter and brutal. Cinder pushed the thoughts from her mind as her head was tilted up by the chin, as if to look Salem in the eyes despite the fact that Cinder adamantly kept hers shut.

"I have trained you well." Cinder's heart skipped a beat at the compliment. "You have dragged yourself from the pits of what was once your life and you fear another challenge?" Salem's voice was mocking, but gentle. As if she was teasing Cinder. Almost a believable idea if Salem had any sense of what humor was. "If you fall, you were never worthy to begin with. I have never chosen a failure before, and you will not be my first. Defeating Ozpin and bringing Vale to its knees is part of your destiny."

Cinder took a breath in to steady her mind, holding it for seven seconds then exhaling for nine before responding. "What of the other's in Ozpin's circle? Goodwitch and that other Branwen?"

Salem made a dismissive noise. "They will either survive to die another day or fall like any other."

"And Summer's child?"

There was barely a breath of hesitation before Salem spoke, voice neutral, but Cinder had caught it. "She is not old enough for her powers to develop properly. Though, if you can kill her without drawing attention to yourself, do it."

Cinder nodded her understanding. Such a delicate plan couldn't be sacrificed on the ghost of a woman who had been dead for fifteen years. It would be foolish to kill someone without reason, and there wasn't any reason to suspect that Summer's child was anything more than Ozpin's new favorite toy.

"Cinder," Salem's voice pulled Cinder from her thoughts and grounded her again. "Once Beacon has fallen, bring your apprentice, Emerald, to me." Cinder felt a pit of anxiety in her chest twist at the words, "I believe she will have earned the right of the Purge and will be ready to stand with us fully."

Emerald? "But, ma'am, she isn't ready. She's barely more than a street rat. I haven't been training her longer than-"

Cinder's head was suddenly in a vice, intense pressure pressing down on her skull. Fire burned through her temples and crushing weight pressed down on her entire body, forcing her flat. Cinder couldn't move as she struggled to breathe, both through the pain and because her mouth was full of bitter ash. She tried to move, to get up, to even turn her head slightly, but Salem's power was overwhelming. The simple thought of movement lit her skin on fire and the hope of breath nearly broke her mind as the knives that were being driven into it twisted viciously.

"And you think you were more than a bastard when I allowed your first taste?" Salem's voice penetrated the pain, eerily calm. Cinder managed to gasp, but couldn't form any words as she moved her hands to hold her head to try and lessen the pain any way she could.

The fire behind her eyes flared with intensity as Salem continued, "Do you truly believe that a girl who kills her family after years of mistreatment is any more prepared to be claimed as one of my Soulless than an urchin who has never felt even the scraps of what little kindness you were offered?" Cinder could feel Salem's foot between her shoulder blades, in the center of her tattoos, pressing her into the ground.

"Know your place, human." Cinder tried to nod her head but she couldn't tell if she managed to do so. "Emerald is soft, but the Purge will make her hard. Just like it did you, _Cinderella_."

Cinder's vision flashed white and she was on her knees again, the burning of her skin and pressure on her skull gone; as if nothing had happened. Salem was close. The overwhelming darkness around her nearly swallowing Cinder whole, but not enough to suffocate her completely. The pressure moved to her eyelids and Cinder felt them being forced open. She thought to fight it, but gave in instantly, a flash of agony shooting out from between her shoulder blades in response to her thoughts of rebellion.

Salem's face was inches from hers. Expressionless and without any of the features a face should have. No blemishes or faults marred Salem's 'skin,' but there wasn't anything memorable about it either. It looked like the face of a creature that knew what humans looked like, but couldn't bother with making sure there were any defining details.

Cinder was certain that the 'face' she saw was actually a mask. The way it seemed to shift and how it barely moved, even when Salem spoke. There was something underneath that mask; something so brutal and horrible her mind wouldn't be able to comprehend it. Salem was showing what little mercy she had by hiding her true form.

If anything gave away the Salem's true nature, it was her eyes. They were pits of the deepest black that couldn't be contained to the holes they were permitted. Thick, inky tears poured from the edges and snaked their way behind the ears and edges of the mask. The red at their center wasn't the blood red that Cinder dressed herself in. _Blood_ implied that there was once something of what may have been life hidden in the depths of the color. Instead, they matched the red of burn dust. Primal, ferocious power that could barely be controlled at the best of times and was catastrophic at others.

Cinder felt her mouth go dry and she struggled to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in her throat.

"Remember, child, you are mine." The words weren't just a statement. They were absolute truths that shook Cinder to her core. Salem made Cinder turn her head, inspecting her. "Your ambition has gotten you this far, I would hate to have to destroy you before you served your full purpose. It would be…" Salem paused. "Inconvenient."

Cinder nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Salem pulled away and Cinder's head dropped, a ragged gasp escaping her lips as she watched Salem turn to stare over the lava fields. "You won't be able to kill Ozpin, only I can do that. Once you detain him, he will be collected and you will feed the wyvern Fall's power. My child will be invincible."

A stray thought flashed through Cinder's head and before she could vocalize it, Salem responded, "If you fail and Ozpin kills you, grant Fall's power to your apprentice, Emerald. Though I would be surprised if Ozpin gives you enough time to comprehend your death. He tends to be merciful."

Cinder's thoughts slid to Emerald; the stray she had picked up a few years ago. There wasn't any question if Emerald would steal and kill for Cinder, but harnessing Fall's power was another matter entirely. Emerald hadn't trained for years like Cinder had. She didn't have the mistakes carved in her flesh like Cinder did. She didn't have the pit in her heart that would let her walk amongst Grimm like Cinder did. Giving her the Fall powers would be as good as losing them.

Cinder pushed the thoughts away as quickly as they had flashed through her mind, preparing herself for another mental assault, but it never came. Cinder watched as Salem twitched a shoulder in acknowledgment of the thoughts but her voice was without emotion:

"You doubt the girl, but you forget that you too were weak before I claimed you." Salem turned back to look at Cinder, face expressionless and unreadable. "It wasn't that long ago that you were a mess of a child looking for any scrap of revenge you could." Salem took a step towards Cinder and what little light provided by the lava pools seemed to vanish, leaving Salem the center of Cinder's vision.

"I do not grant the Soulless to anyone. They must earn it." Salem took another step forward and Cinder's vision seemed to waver. "You earned it when you claimed your revenge on your family. Raven earned it when she destroyed Summer Rose, even if by proxy. And Emerald will earn it in time too. As thousands of others have and will." Salem took another step forward. Cinder strained her neck to look the Mother in the face from her kneeling position.

"You fear she does not have the edge that you do, but tell me," Cinder couldn't move as Salem leaned forward and her voice filled her ear, " _Cinderella,"_ there wasn't any heat as Cinder noticed no breath passed over her ear. "Do you truly believe that you were always worthy of the Soulless?" Cinder couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down her spin.

"I made you, Cinder. Do not forget it."

* * *

Cinder took a breath to steady the shake that rolled through her arm and let the arrow loose, watching it with a hunger she didn't bother to conceal. It cut through the air, silent and unnoticed before it pierced the glass of the pod and the Maiden's skin. The arrow skewered the heart of the Fall Maiden and Cinder could feel the woman struggling to breathe and push the darkness away.

Their eyes connected as the last bits of life faded from the Maiden and Cinder could feel the pulse of the tattoo on her back as the final breath escaped the woman's lips. Her light extinguished. Cinder shifted her eyes over Ozpin and his pawns, enjoying her victory. It had taken so long. So many years of preparation. Finally fulfilled.

Cinder's eyes fell back on the Maiden's body and a fraction of a second later, the power burst forth. It shattered the glass of the pod and burned through the air before wrapping around Cinder. White hot pain seeped through her skin as the power filled the void in the center of her chest, reuniting with its other half. Fire seeped from her eyes and skin as Cinder noticed one of Ozpin's toys running at her. He was moving in slow motion; so predictable, so _weak_. She thought about incinerating the boy, but held back. Aggravating Ozpin by claiming one of his pawns would be a poor move. Instead, Cinder flicked her wrist at his feet as watched as a brilliant fireball exploded and sent the boy tumbling backwards.

The power swelled again as something shot towards her and Cinder watched the Invincible Girl launch the pod's door at her and leap to action, ready to fight. Cinder slapped the door away with a twitch of her arm and lowered herself to the ground, the fire in her chest burning as she watched the girl take a few steps forward before an arm shot out to stop her.

Ozpin.

He said something to the girl. Cinder's heart began beating faster with the thrill of the impending fight, but she didn't strike first. There was no need to waste what power she had on two ants when her true quarry was standing right there. Fall's power had amplified tenfold. The gentle burn in her chest had been replaced with a raging fire and Cinder could feel her tattoos thrumming in resonance with the power. Each heartbeat sent bolts of pain through her body; sharpening her, hardening her. Cinder licked her lips in anticipation as she watched the children run away.

She turned her eyes back to Ozpin, "This whole time, right beneath our feet." It was so simple really. Why would Ozpin dare to keep one of his most precious secrets anywhere other than right under his nose? But Cinder had beaten him. Outplayed and outmaneuvered a being as old as Remnant itself. It hadn't even been hard. A little makeup, some well-placed bribes and lies, and Ozpin's whole empire had come crumbling down. Salem had claimed that it had been built on shaky foundation but Cinder hadn't realized quite how weakly Ozpin had integrated himself with the humans. It was pathetic.

A breath passed and Ozpin shifted his weight. Cinder's breath almost caught she waited for The Father's Scythe. Ozpin's ultimate weapon and the instrument of Cinder's destruction if he chose to reveal his full strength. She waited for the cane to extend and the obsidian blade to be revealed. She waited for the explosion of power and Salem's embrace.

But it never came. Instead, Ozpin flipped the cane in the air and caught it by the hilt, holding it like a fencer's foil.

Cinder suppressed a small smile, "She was right about you… such _arrogance_." The heat in Cinder's chest rose as Ozpin narrowed his eyes at her. The fire burned at her muscles and begged her to move. To strike him down like the dog he was. But Cinder bit the impulses back. Attacking first would be a death sente-

There wasn't time to react as the point of Ozpin's cane hit her stomach a fraction of a millisecond after his afterimage faded. The blow was ferocious, enough to turn any human to jelly and break the aura of a normal hunter. Cinder's back hit the marble floor and she slid a short distance, reeling from the blow before Ozpin was on her again.

Cinder jerked her head out of the way of the strike that would have crushed her skull before slamming her palm on the floor and liquefying the stone. The lava pool spread out in a massive circle, warming Cinder as she rose to her feet and brushed a few stray drops off her clothing. There wasn't any doubt that Ozpin could attack her, but he wouldn't risk burning his feet and losing his speed. She saw him waiting at the edge of the lava pool.

Cinder locked eyes with him as she released some ash from a canister at her side and summoned her weapons, the pull of her semblance at the back of her mind. The small cloud hardened and organized itself in Cinder's grip and the familiar weight of her swords appeared as she rolled her shoulders to try and relax the sudden tightness that had formed.

This was it.

She looked down at the blades as they ignited, orange flame wreathing blades. The tattoos on the backs of her hands began to throb and lines of darkness weaved their way across the glass and helped to feed the flames. She could feel Salem's power moving through her body, mixing with Fall's and amplifying it. A gasp of pain escaped Cinder's lips as the tattoos on her waist burned to life and dark veins spread across her skin, pulsing with her heartbeat. Cinder looked back up and locked eyes with Ozpin, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

This was it.

The lava had cooled and the fire in her blood flared as Ozpin shifted a fraction of an inch and launched forward again, faster than the blur of green he left behind. But she was ready now. Her feet left the ground and her swords swung for where his head would be as she saw him blur towards where she had been. The swords connected with the cane and a blast of energy shot out, heating the area with power.

Her senses twitched in time to bring her swords to block a strike that had come from behind, aimed for her face and another concussive blast shot out as Cinder shifted to block a strike aimed to paralyze her. The cane caught her sword and Cinder released a burst of power, consuming the latent energy and rocking the vault with a powerful explosion. Ozpin stumbled back and Cinder took the second to gather her thoughts and land. He was faster than she had anticipated. All Cinder could do was react and that wasn't-

A blow connected with her side, a sharp _crack_ sounding out as pain shot up her side and Cinder barely managed to dodge out of the way of a heavy overhand blow in the same breath. But she wasn't fast enough to defend against another blow that cracked across her face. The sick sound of the connection shot out into the darkness of the vault. Cinder stumbled from the blow and felt the agony of her back tattoos flaring to life, the darkness of the vault itself deepening and time seeming to slow to a crawl.

Salem's power washed over her and suppressed the pain, pressing into her mind. Cinder could feel hatred that she wasn't sure was her own, but she didn't care. The rage fueled the fire of her blood. The pain pulled the darkness to her. Cinder steadied herself and raised her head to catch Ozpin rushing towards her. Blinding for a human. Incredibly fast for even a master huntsman.

But he was too slow for Cinder.

She caught the cane with her left blade and spun, slamming the hilt of her second into Ozpin's chest. He slid back and steadied himself as Cinder felt a wave of satisfaction roll through her. Her feet left the ground, and their weapons met, a thundering clash echoed down the hallway in the same millisecond. Cinder felt a cruel smile on her face as Ozpin's eyes shot up and down the swords.

Less than a hairline shift in posture and Cinder propelled herself into the air as Ozpin shattered the stones where she had just been standing. Another barely perceptible shift of muscle and she twisted herself, feet above her head to both block the strike and drag a slash across Ozpin's stomach. A heated red line followed the cut and a fiery explosion blew them apart for an instant.

Through the fire, Cinder could see Ozpin wincing with pain and pressing a hand to his stomach. She could feel the blood escaping his body from here. He wasn't human. He didn't have an aura like she did.

But before the smoke had died from the edges of the cloud, Ozpin was on her. Each blow thrummed with enough energy to destroy a small building and it was all Cinder could do to dodge and block them as he pressed his attack. Even with her new strength, Ozpin was a tier above her. Maybe he now realized what a real threat Cinder was, but his ferocity was alarming and almost overwhelming. Ozpin was a force of nature. So raw and powerful and similar to Salem that Cinder felt her resolve wane for just a breath of one moment.

Cinder brought her swords up in a cross block above her head as Ozpin brought down an overhead strike. The force pushed her to her knees, the stones beneath her shattered on impact. Her eyes connected with Ozpin's and the fire in her veins swelled to a fever pitch as she saw the pity just under the surface there. Even now he was arrogant enough to _pity_ her.

Flames burst from Cinder's eyes and she felt her arms ignite. Cinder pushed back and rose to her full height, lowering the block so that their weapons were barely inches over her shoulder. Cinder had clawed her way out of hell and she wasn't about to let Ozpin put her back.

They disconnected and rushed forward again. Ozpin's strike slid through her guard and hit her in the chest, pain shooting out as something _cracked_ under the strike. Cinder slid back, raking her hands across the marble floor and liquefying it. Glass needles, razor sharp and vicious, rose from the pool as Cinder felt the pull of her semblance before launching them towards her opponent.

Space itself seemed to bend around Ozpin as he moved faster than even Cinder could perceive and all of the needles shattered simultaneously; twenty Ozpins all reconnected at the hip and the one remaining rocketed towards Cinder. Again, space seemed to twist as Cinder tried to move but the cane had already connected five times by the moment her leg had begun shifting to dodge. The blows weren't as powerful as the previous, mere jabs compared to the uppercuts he had been throwing. Ozpin couldn't be both powerful and fast. He needed to choose.

Cinder didn't know how many more times she was hit but the final strike shattered her aura and forced her into the air where she was defenseless. The tattoo on her back flared to life and all the burning inside burst out, forming a miniature sun around her body; arcs of flame destroying nearby columns and liquefying the stone floor. Cinder snapped her head back down in time to watch Ozpin slam the ground with his cane; a green shield bursting to life around him, bolts of lightning shooting into the nearby air.

This was it.

Cinder pulled all her hatred, all her rage, and all the fire in her belly that wasn't Fall's from the sun surrounding her into the palm of her hand and let it explode free as Ozpin launched at her. The flame exploded to life and the heat amplified a thousand fold as it connected with Ozpin's shield. The fire engulfed the ball completely, the flames eating at every inch of the shield. Ozpin didn't stop moving forward, but he didn't have to. Cinder could feel it. The flames sinking almost an imperceptible amount further into the shield in just one spot.

A weakness in his shield. At his feet.

Cinder flipped upside down and slashed her sword towards where the weakness would be as she dropped the burst and Ozpin rocketed forward, no longer opposed. She continued to push her body through the air as her sword connected with the shield and her hand tattoos burned, black cracks spreading and weakening the orb. Cinder thrust for Ozpin with her other sword, the barrier shattering with minimal resistance.

The tip of the sword burst through Ozpin's front.

Cinder let a wicked smile break out as she heard that iconic singular gasp of surprise escape his lips. Black tendrils detached from the sword and wrapped themselves around Ozpin, tightening around his form before lighting on fire. Cinder felt Ozpin's consciousness fall away as she began to lower them.

As soon as they touched the floor, Cinder brought her other sword down across the back of Ozpin's skull with as much force as she could muster. A sick _crack!_ filled the now silent vault. Cinder was more than willing to be extra careful considering how close to death she had come.

Tense moments passed as Cinder expected him to come back to consciousness. To attack her again. For the fire in her veins to flare wildly and her tattoos to thrum with dark power. Her breathing was ragged and now that the fight was catching up with her and the tendrils of Salem's power began retreating back into her tattoos, Cinder's body felt weak. Ozpin had been inches from killing her. Though Fall's power was already fusing her bones back together and reforming her aura, Cinder could feel that at least four ribs had been broken, along with one of her cheeks and there were several cracks in her arm bones from just blocking Ozpin. If Salem's power hadn't been using her pain to amplify her-

The clack of something hitting stone sent Cinder shooting towards the sound, the single blade she had prepared to cut whatever it was to shreds. The glass connected with something before the voice hit her ears.

"Woah there, how about we calm down a little?" Cinder's mind caught up to her actions as Raven Branwen leaned around her sword to stare at her assailant. A thick moment passed between the two when Cinder wondered if she wanted to calm down. The ferocity. The power. The _pain_. They felt _so_ _good_.

"Cinder." Raven's voice had changed, the whisper of a threat barely hidden. A threat Cinder doubted Raven could fulfill until a burst of pain shot out from her side as she took a deep breath to try and steady herself. The wild part of her mind whispered for her to push her luck. To start a fight that maybe she couldn't finish.

A hiss snaked through the vault as Cinder dragged her weapon free of Raven's. Even through the mask, Cinder can see Raven's eyes narrow. "I'm here to collect Ozpin for Salem."

"How did you know to be here?" Cinder doubted Raven. Even if Salem did trust her, Cinder did not. The woman was never able to stay in one place too long from what Cinder could glean off her past, what made Salem think that Raven would treat them any differently? Raven had no loyalty. She had proven that when she was granted the Soulless by Salem, selling out her former team leader without a second thought.

Raven stepped past Cinder, seemingly ignoring the question. "You should keep a tighter hold on the White Fang. They mutilated my daughter you know." Cinder watched as Raven inspected the pile on the floor that was Ozpin, apparently interested in the orange chains wrapped around his body.

Cinder narrowed her eyes again. "Since when have you cared about your daughter?" She paused for a second before her memory came back to her, "Besides your sudden affection for her when Neo was about to claim her on the train a few weeks ago, of course." Cinder almost didn't catch the way Raven's hand seemingly paused for a second before continuing over Ozpin's body.

But she did.

Raven raised her head to look back at Cinder, "Since I was looking to take on an apprentice." A pause, the silence of distrust between the two thick and heavy. "That's half the reason I had her in the first place."

"And the other half?" Cinder saw the slight pause in Raven's movements and the way her body hesitated just a fraction before continuing the motion of standing. If the nevermore's skull hadn't been there to hide Raven's expression, Cinder was sure her 'ally' would be blanched white. Even before Fall's power, Cinder had barely missed anything, but now that her senses were elevated beyond those of even a master hunter, nothing would get past her.

"Not everyone is as content to be a lap dog as you are, Cinder."

Fall's power screamed for her to destroy Raven and her insolent attitude. Her tattoo's thrummed with energy, egging Cinder to give in to the power. But she didn't. The fire was there but Cinder kept her face frozen and expressionless as she watched Raven walk towards where Ozpin's cane had fallen. "Watch your tongue, bird. You are replaceable." Cinder didn't bother to conceal the threat of her words and she felt flames dance off her fingertips.

"And Salem told you that you're not?" Raven's head shot up from the cane and Cinder locked eyes with the woman. There was something there that she couldn't read but it felt mocking. Raven started walking towards Cinder. "Just because you have Fall's power doesn't make you special. You forget that I have been among the Soulless for years longer than you and have done far more for Salem than you."

Cinder held Raven's gaze as the woman stopped a foot away from her. Though Raven was still a half foot taller than her, Cinder glared at her. There was a casual predatory shift as Raven crossed her arms. Cinder narrowed her eyes at the unspoken threat, "Then why am _I_ here and, you, there?"

A tense laugh escaped Raven's mouth, the sound so fake that it was almost funny in itself. "We both know why. You've barely earned those tattoos of yours. This was a test, just like everything else is with Salem."

Cinder felt the fire flare at the insult and she took a step forward, closing the distance between the two of them, "And you think that killing Summer Rose was enough to earn yours? That wasn't half the ta-"

 _Slap!_

The strike didn't hurt Cinder in the slightest, and she doubted Raven had intended to do anything more than get her attention as Cinder whipped her head back to face her assailant; fire streaming from her eyes as she lifted off the ground to meet her at eye level.

"Summer would have squashed you like the rat you are if she were still here."

It wasn't the words that bothered Cinder. She had been called worse a thousand times over by a hundred other people. It was the tone. The absolute certainty with which Raven said the words. Like there wasn't a single shred of doubt in her mind that Cinder was that _weak_.

"Watch yourself, bird." Cinder spat. "Your true allegiance is showing."

"I would keep your nose out of business you couldn't possibly understand before you get hurt, girl." Raven narrowed her eyes and Cinder felt the distance between them close another step. They were less than an inch away from each other now, the space between them practically crackling with electricity.

Cinder wanted nothing more than to put Raven in her place. To teach her the respect that she so clearly lacked for her superiors like she would Emerald or Mercury. Every inch of her wanted to beat Raven within an inch of her life and deliver what was left to Salem with pride.

But Cinder kept herself still. If she attacked first, she would be in the wrong and would be facing Salem's wrath. And it seemed Raven was thinking the same thing given that the woman was anxiously flexing her sword hand and fidgeting ever so slightly. The bird wanted to fight just as badly as Cinder did.

Cinder licked her lips in anticipation. _Do it._ _Hit me. Just hit me so I can kill you. Do it. Do-_

Raven broke the eye contact and stepped over to Ozpin's cane, picking it up and moving towards Ozpin body without stopping. Her sword had slashed a portal open in the next second and Raven bent down to lift the unconscious being onto her shoulder like a sack. The slash in the fabric of space bled red and wavered for a moment before solidifying as Raven re-sheathed her blade and looked over her shoulder to eye Cinder.

"Maybe next time, Cinder." Heat flared in Cinder's blood but she kept still as the woman turned away again. "I have more important things to do today."

Cinder watched as Raven stepped into the portal and it blinked shut before the vault was silent again. The fire in her blood began to wane and the thrumming of her tattoos slowed to a dull thudding to match her heartbeat rather than the wild beat it had been hammering at just moments ago.

 _More important things…_

Cinder began walking towards the elevator, mind set on her next goal.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to drop a favorite or review if you'd like. This is a one-shot._


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